Tuesday, 8 May 2012

South Pacific Cruise: 11 nights in December 2012

Radiance of the Seas

by prayitno Flickr Creative Commons

Depart from Sydney on the Radiance of the Seas for this 11-night adventure on the South Pacific. Calling in at all the favourite French Melanesian destinations, you will become well-acquainted with this corner of the world whilst enjoying the sumptuousness of a Royal Caribbean ship. Set sail and get acquainted with the Radiance over 2 sea days, before arriving at the Isle of Pines, a beautiful island off the coast of New Caledonia. The next stop is at the completely uninhabited, tiny and picture-perfect Mystery Island in Vanuatu. Champagne Bay next is what most would imagine in their head when they think of a tropical paradise- beautiful beach, palm trees and sun-kissed waters. Return to a bit of reality in the charming port city of Port Vila, Vanuatu, where you can watch local fishing boats come in to the natural harbour or peruse the markets. Lifou, one of the Loyalty islands, is next, and then Noumea, New Caledonia's capital where french meets tropical island. See the city on the 'Petit Train' or experience some Melanesian culture at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre. After a few more sea days, the ship returns to Sydney.

The Radiance is all about the views- more glass in the public areas, more balconies and glass lifts that mean you have sea views even when between floors! Entertainment is plentiful- if you can tear yourself away from gazing at the ocean! There is a rock-climbing wall, pools, gym and spa, a Solarium, rock climbing and a waterpark, sports courts, a show theatre and a movie cinema, as well as many, many bars that always have something going on- a sports match on the big screen, a quiz, a dance party, some live music. Dining is an experience in the Cascades main dining room, or there is the buffet, an english pub experience and the Dog House for a more casual affair. The ship is chock-full of specialty restaurants, and although it would get expensive to try them all, Royal Caribbean offers some amazing package deals to try a variety of them.